Multiple station control system

ABSTRACT

A system for remotely controlling the setting of an adjustable element from a selected one of a number of control stations. The system includes an arrangement having a longitudinally movable operating slide having arranged in juxtaposed relationship on either side thereof a control slide arranged for individual movement with and parallel to the operating slide. The slides are connected to the adjustable element to be remotely controlled and are held mutually interconnected by latching means whose geometric axes meet each other in the neutral position of the arrangement. The latching elements are accommodated in channels and may be biassed axially inwardly by spring means. Between the latching elements, centrally of the operating slide, is a centre device providing indirect contact of the latching elements one with the other. The arrangement is such that activation of one slide causes similar movement of the operating slide while blocking movement of the non-activated slide.

United States Patent [191 Bagge MULTIPLE STATION CONTROL SYSTEM NilsOlol' Manus Bagge, Gothenburg, Sweden AB Volvo Penta, Goteborg, SwedenFeb. 12, 1973 Inventor:

Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1955 Morse 74/483 R X3/1972 Booty et al.... 74/483 R 5/1972 Bennett 74/501 R PrimaryExaminer-Benjamin W. Wyche Assistant Examiner-F. D. Shoemaker Attorney,Agent, or Firm-George 1-1. Baldwin; Arthur G. Yeager Oct. 22, 1974 5 7]ABSTRACT A system for remotely controlling the setting of an adjustableelement from a selected one of a number of control stations. The systemincludes an arrangement having a longitudinally movable operating slidehaving arranged in juxtaposed relationship on either side thereof acontrol slide arranged for individual movement with and parallel to theoperating slide. The slides are connected to the adjustable element tobe remotely controlled and are held mutually interconnected by latchingmeans whose geometric axes meet each other in the neutral position ofthe arrangement. The latching elements are accommodated in channels andmay be biassed axially inwardly by spring means. Between the latchingelements, centrally of the operating slide, is a centre device providingindirect contact of the latching elements one with the other. Thearrangement is such that activation of one slide causes similar movementof the operating slide while blocking movement of the non-activatedslide.

SBEHZU3 PATENTEBnmzzzm m: M M W G; 2 i crt 1 MUTIPLE STATION CONTROLSYSTEM The present invention relates to a system common to at least twooperating stations for enabling an adjustable element such as an enginecarburetor for example to be remotely controlled from any selected oneof the stations. It should be understood from this that no specialmeasures are required to alternate the remote control action from oneoperating station to another.

Systems of the aforementioned type are previously known to the art. Withone such system operating arms mounted at the two different operatingstations are me chanically connected in parallel, whereby a change inthe setting of the arm located on one station causes a correspondingchange in the setting of the arm on the other station. The disadvantagewith this arrangement is that whenever the system is operated itis'necessary to move relatively large masses in the form of nonutilizedoperating arms, cables, guide rollers and the like, which in addition tothe resistance offered by the accompanying masses also give rise tounnecessary frictional forces. Thus, large adjustment forces are alreadyrequired at two operating stations.

With another known system of the type envisaged an output operatingcable connected to an engine is coupled to the middle of a link bararranged transversely of the longitudinal direction of the cable. Toeach end of the link bar is connected a cable drawn in the oppositedirection, each cable being connected in turn to its respective one oftwo different operating stations. The non-utilized operating arm isfixed in position in the operating cockpit by a snap-in device and hencewhen the system is operated, the link bar will rotate around thecorresponding connecting point of the operating cable in the link bar.The output cable is thus moved through a distance which mathematicallyreaches to only half the distance moved by the input cable. In practice,however, unavoidable play is obtained. Since the point of rotation ofthe link rod is also moved, the result is that the play of all threeoperating cables ,is accumulated. Large movements and large settingforces are therefore also unavoidable with this system.

A primary object of the present invention is therefore to provide asystem of the type envisaged which is not encumbered with thedisadvantages presented by the previously known constructions. Anotherobject of the present invention is to provide an arrangement whichrequires only relatively small setting forces and which presents but arelatively small amount of play, thereby permitting a smoother and morebalanced manipulation of the arrangement and thereby also providing forgreaer reliability.

This is achieved with a system constructed in accordance with thepresent invention by the fact that the system includes an arrangementhaving a control slide which is accommodated in a housing and connectedwith the adjustable element and capable of being adjusted between aneutral position, corresponding to a zero-setting of the arrangement,and control positions determinative of the setting of the adjustableelement, and that the arrangement further includes operating slides,each of which is connected with a respective operating lever arranged ateach operating station. The operating slides are arranged adjacent thecontrol slide for movement parallel with the movement path thereof andare capable of being adjusted by means of the operating levers betweenzero position corresponding to neutral position of the control slide andto operating positions corresponding to the control positions. Thearrangement also includes a latching and dogging mechanism havinglatching means capable of hooking into or engaging the control slide andthe inner walls of the housing and arranged for movement in theoperating slides, the latching means propelling or dogging the controlslide with a selective operating slide movement and therewith latchingthe remaining operating slides in their zero positions.

With a preferred arrangement according to the invention, each operatingslide also presents at least one of the latching elements of thelatching and dogging mechanism, the latching element being arranged forlimited movement in a bore extending transversely through the operatingslide. The latching element has a greater extension in the longitudinaldirection of the bore than the opeating slide, so that when thearrangement is set to zero the latching element occupies an inactiveposition in which the latching element engages cavities arranged in thecontrol slide and the housing and opening towards the operating slide.

Other objects and features of an arrangement constructed in accordancewith the invention will be evident from the following and from theaccompanying claims.

The invention will now be described with reference to preferredembodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In thedrawings FIG. 1 illustrates a system comprising two arrangementsaccording to the invention mounted in a marine craft. One arrangement isconnected to the throttle of the engine while the other is connected tothe gear shift mechanism of the propeller unit..FIG. 2 is a sectionthrough an embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention andillustrates the arrangement in a zero setting. FIG. 3 is a cross sectiontaken through the line Ill-III of the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 2.FIG. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to that in FIG. 2 but with thearrangement illustrated in an active operative condition. FIG. 5 is asection corresponding to FIG. 3 but with a second embodiment accordingto the invention intended for four different operating stations.Similarly, FIG. 6 is a section corresponding to FIG. 3 but illustratinga third embodiment of the arrangement intended for three differentoperating stations. Finally, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken throughthe line VIIVII in FIG. 6 on an enlarged scale.

In FIG. 1 there is illustrated a motorboat 1 provided with an inboardpropeller motor 2 and a propeller unit 3 suspended externally of thestern transom and intended for driving the propeller. The boat isprovided with two different operating stations, one station, 4A, beingsituated in the cabin and the other, 48, being located on the bridge 6of the boat. Respective operating cockpits 7A, 7B of the operatingstations are provided with two operating levers, these being levers 8A,8B for remote control of the throttle 9 of the motor 2, and levers 10A,10B for remote control of the gear shift mechanism 11 of the propellerunit 3.

To enable the throttle 9 and the gear shift mechanism 11 to beselectively controlled from either of the two operating stations,arrangements 20', 20" are positioned in accordance with the inventionbetween the operating levers and the drive unit 2, 3. Thus, theoperating levers 8A, 88 by means of respective remote control cables 12Aand 12B are connected to the arrangement 20', while the operating leversA, 10B are connected to the arrangement 20" by means of respectivecables 13A and 138. In turn, the arrangement-20' has an output remotecontrol cable 14' extending'to the engine and the arrangement 20" has acorresponding cable 14" extending to the propeller unit. For the sake ofcompleteness it should also be noted that the arrangements 20, 20" arepreferably separate embodiments of the arrangement according to theinvention, although they may have principally a similar construction.

Even though the aforedescribed application of the system according tothe invention concerns two conventional operating control functionswhenoperating a boat, the use of a system constructed in accordance with theinvention is not necessarily limited thereto. The system can be usedequally as well for putting into operation other marine operationalfunctions such as reversing the propellers etc. or for controlling theoperation of land and air vehicles or the operation of stationarysystems.

In FIGS. 24 an arrangement according to the invention is generallyindicated by the reference numeral 20. The arrangement includes asubstantially rectangular housing 21 which accommodates three adjustableslides arranged for movement parallel with each other, the slidescomprising a centrally arranged control slide 22 and an operating slide23A and 23B arranged on either side of the control slide and adjacentthereto. Each operating slide 23A, 23B is mechanically connected bymeans of a remote operating cable 13A, 133 with operating levers 10A,108 as shown in FIG. 1. The movable elements in the cables are indicateddiagrammatically in the aforementioned figures by the reference numerals24A and 248. The corresponding element in a remote control cable 14"connects the control slide 22 with the gear shift mechanism 11 of thepropeller unit.

. The control slide can be adjusted between a neutral positionillustrated in FIG. 2 and control positions, of which one is shown byway of example inFIG. 4. Each of the operating slides 23A, 238 can beadjusted from respective operating stations 4A, 48 between zeropositions shown in FIG. 2, and selected operating positions, althoughnot simultaneously. FIG. 4 illustrates the operating slide 238 in aselected operating position.

As will be seen from FIGS. 2-4, the arrangement includes a latching anddogging mechanism 25 comprising latching elements 26A, 26B, guide meansor centre device 27, springs 28 and spring end caps 29. By means of themechanism 25 it is possible to control the mutual positions of thecontrol and operating slides 22, 23A, 238 immediately an operating slideis moved from its zero position.

One latching means 26A, 26B is arranged for each operating slide 23A,238. Each latching element is movably arranged in a bore 30 in anassociating operating slide. The bore 30 is arranged through theoperating slides 23A, 23B transversely of their direction of movement,which in FIG. 2 is conceived to pass parallel with the plane of thedrawing and in the direction shown by the arrow 45. The extension of thelatching element 26A, 263 in the longitudinal direction 31 of the bore30 is greater than that of the operating slide 23A, 238. With thearrangement set at zero, as shown in. FIG. 2, the latching element thusprojects slightly on both sides of the operating slide and engages in acavity 32 located in the control slide 22 and a cavity 33 located in thehousing 21. The cavities 32, 33 are thus open towards the operatingslides 23A, 23B.

Thus, it will be evident from FIGS. 2-4 that the latching elements 26A,263 can only be moved to a limit extent along the bore 30 of theoperating slides 23A, 238, since movement in towards the control slide22 is dependent on the position of the centre device 27, while whenmoving outwardly from the control slide the latching element mustovercome the force of spring 28.

The longitudinal geometric axes 31 of the bores 30 of the operatingslides 23A, 23B lie axially in register with one another. This is not anecessary feature, however. When the arrangement is set to zero, thelongitudinal axes of the bores 30 suitably meet at a point C locatedcentrally in the control slide. The point C also constitutes the centreof the latching and dogging mechanism 25. This can be seen also to bethe case in the embodiments of the arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 5and 6.

As will also be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the cavities 32 of the controlslide 22 are located symmetrically in relation to the centre C and thatthese cavities arcinterconnected with each other in and around thecentre. When the arrangement is set to zero, both the cavities 32 in thecontrol slide and the cavities 33 in the housing are located in thegeometric extension of the bores 30 in the operating slide. The cavities32, 33 are adapted to at least partially receive adjacent latchingelements 26A, 268.

The .cavities 33 suitably present extensions which form chambers 38, thechambers also opening outwardly towards the outside of the housing 39.The chambers 38 can, in this way, readily be designed to accommodate thespring means 28, 29, the force exerted by which counteracts movement ofthe latching elements 26A, 26B from the inactive position shown in FIG.2 to a blocking position such as to the left in FIG. 4. This force,however, can also be obtained by means of a diaphragm with or withoutthe assistance of hydraulic fluid or the like. The chamber 38 is closedexternally by means of a suitably constructed, threaded plug:40.

When the arrangement is set to zero, the latching elements 26A, 26B arein indirect contact with each other, owing to the fact that they bothabut the centre device 27. Thus, one latching element cannot be moved intowards the centre C without the centre device 27 and the other latchingelement accompanying such movement. When centre devices are provided,such devices are thus capable of being moved along the cavities 32 ofthe control slide.

Another feature of the centre device 27 is that it is provided with acontact path 41 suitably designed for each latching element 26A, 263,the contact paths ensuring that the latching elements upon relativemovement thereof in the direction of movement 45 of the control slide 22at least retain their mutual distance apart transversely of thisdirection of movement. The contact path 41 is suitably rectilinear inthe direction of movement of the control slide 22.

As is evident from FIG. 2, the cavities 33 are pro-- FIGS. 5 and 6illustrate cross sectional views corresponding to the views of FIG. 3showing two other embodiments of the arrangement according to theinvention. All elements corresponding to those of the arrangementsillustrated in FIGS. 2-3 have been identified by the same referencenumerals, although such elements need not have other similarities thanthe principle functions of the elements aforedescribed. A detaildescription of the elements is thus not thought to be necessary.

The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5-6 are provided with a pluralityof centre devices. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 6 three centredevices 27A, 27B, 27C are provided, while in FIG. 5 five such devicesare arranged, since in this latter instance in addition to the devices27A-27D there is also provided a device 43 against which the remainingdevices abut when the arrangement is set to zero. The arrangementillustrated in FIG. 5 is intended to serve four alternative operatingstations, while the arrangements of FIG. 6 is intended to serve threesuch stations.

In all the figures of the drawing, with the exception of FIG. 6, thelatching elements 26A, 26B, 26C, 26D have been shown as spherical balls.That the invention is not restricted to this particular configuration ofthe latching elements is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, in which thelatching elements 26A, 26B, 26C have a shape reminiscent of aconventionally built house. Further, it is assumed that the latchingelements have the same configuration as associated centre devices 27A,27B, 27C. The centre devices, however, are rotated 90 in relation to thelatching elements around the longitudinal axis 31 of the bores 30passing through the control slides 23A, 23B, 23C.

The arrangement according to the invention operates in the followingmanner:

The motorboat l is assumed to be at sea, the operating station 48 beingused for steering and manipulating the boat. The engine 9 is assumed tobe idling and the propeller of the propeller unit 3 is assumed to bedisengaged. The operating levers 8A, 88, 10A, 10B are herewith set tozero, which is also applicable to the arrangement according to theinvention exemplified in FIGS. 2-4, which is thus assumed to correspondto the arrangement 20" indicated in FIG. 1. The arrangement 20 is thusin the position illustrated in FIG. 2.

If the pilot now moves the operating lever 10B towards a forwardposition for the purpose of rotating the propeller for movement ahead,the following sequence of events takes place. The operating slide 23Bconnected with the operating lever 10Bis caused to move in acorresponding direction, assumed to be an outward direction,simultaneously as the operating lever moves. The slide will only movethrough an insignificant dis tance before the latching element 268arranged in the bore 30 of the operating-slide abuts the abutmentsurface 42 of the housing 21 and, approximately at the same time,against a corresponding abutment surface 44 arranged in the controlslide. Since the abutment surface 44 of the control slide yieldsslightly, the abutment surface 42 on the housing will force the latchingelement 268 towards the cavity 32 of the control slide 22 and thus alsotowards the centre device 27. In turn, the centre device will then forceagainst the latching element 26A which is thereby caused to move againstthe force exerted by spring means 28, 29 along the bore 30 in theoperating slide 23A towards the cavities 33 in the housing 21. Owing tothe engagement of the latching element 268 with the abutment surface 44during continued movement of the former in an upward direction, thecontrol slide 22 will also be carried with the movement of the operatingslide. When the latching element 268 has been moved to the left as seenin FIG. 2 to such an extent that, similarly with the case illustrated inFIG. 4, its right hand edge 36 is inline with the inner wall 37 of thehousing 21, the left hand contact path 41 of the centre device is inregister with the left hand defining wall 35 of the control slide 22,which thus also applies to the right hand edge 34 of the latchingelement 26A, which edge 34 initially abuts the contact path 41. Thus,there is now nothing to prevent the operating slide 238 from beingcaused to move upwardly to a further extent, as seen in FIG. 4, i.e.,provided the control slide 22 accompanies the movement. Owing to thefact that the latching element 268 has now passed far into the bore 32on the control slide, the control slide is forced to accompany themovement until it adopts a control position for forward movement of theboat. This position is conceived to correspond to the positionillustrated in FIG. 4. The gear shift mechanism 11 is caused to take acorresponding position by the remote control cable 14''. The propellerhas thereby begun to rotate.

Returning now to the latching element 26A in FIG. 4, it will be seenthat the element is retained in its left hand position by the definingwall 35 of the control slide, which means that the operating slide 23Ais prevented from moving relative the housing 21. The latching element26A thus blocks this operating slide. Thus, in this position it is notpossible to effecta counter manoeuvre from the operating station 4A.Thus, it is impossible to move the control lever 10A before theoperating slide 238 has been returned to zero position. Return of theslide 238 to zero position is effected by carrying out theaforedescribed sequence in reverse.

It will be apparent that movement of any one of the four operatingslides, such as slide 23C of the FIG. 5 arrangement will result inclogging of each of the other three, and that, similarly, the result ofmovement of any one of the slides, such as slide 23C, of the FIGS. 6 7arrangement causes camming inwardly of latching element 26C and thecorresponding outward displacemhnt of elements 26A and 263 to lock ordog their respective slides. Thus, in order to release any one of thecontrol slides in each of these arrangements, it is necessary that eachof the other slides be moved by their respective control levers intoneutral position.

It will be understood that spring arrangements such as those shown at28, 29 in FIG. 5, should also be provided in the arrangement of FIG. 6,being omitted from the drawing for clarity.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a limitednumber of embodiments thereof, it will be understood that the inventionis not restricted thereto, but that modifications can be made within thescope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In a two station control system, two operating slides connected foroperation from respective said stations, a control slide, each saidslide having a neutral position, latch means carried by one of saidoperating slides for operatively engaging said control slide when saidone slide is moved from its neutral position, and means responsive tosaid movement of said one slide to dog the other said operating slide inits neutral position.

2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that each saidoperating slide carries'a respective latch means, said control slidecomprises two side faces disposed respectively toward said respectiveoperating slides, said latch means of each said operating slide beingmoved inwardly toward said control slide upon movement of therespectiveoperating slide from its neutral position, latch-engageablemeans outwardly of each said operating slide, said control slidecomprising means responsive to such inward movement of one said latchmeans to move said latch means of the other operating slide into doggingengagement with said latch: engageable means.

3. A system common to a respective operating lever at each of twooperating stations for enabling an adjustable element to be remotelycontrolled by said levers, characterized in that the system includes ahousing which accommodates a control slide connected with the adjustableelement and capable of being moved between a neutral positioncorresponding to a zero position of said element and control positioncorresponding to a control setting of said element, two operating slideseach connected with a respective one of said levers for movementthereby, said operating slides being arranged adjacent said controlslide, said element and slides having parallel paths of movement, eachsaid operating slide having a neutral position corresponding to saidzero position, and a latching and dogging mechanism having latchingelements operatively engaging between said control slide and saidoperating slides, said latching elements being arranged in response tomovement of a selected one of said operating slides from its saidneutral position to dog the other said operating slide in its saidneutral position.

4. A system according to claim 3, characterized in that each of saidslides has opposite faces and an aperture therethrough extending betweensaid faces thereof, said latching elements being disposed in saidrespective apertures and having a dimension through said aperturegreater than the distance between said faces of the respective slide,said control slide being disposed between said operating slides with oneof said faces of each operating slide disposed theretoward, an aperturethrough said control slide. a housing having inner faces disposed towardthe opposite ones of said faces of each operating slide, said innerfaces being provided with apertures therein aligned, when said slidesare in said zero and neutral positions, with said apertures of saidslides, said inner faces being operative upon displacement of one ofsaid operating slides to move the respective latching element thereofinwardly of said aperture of said control slide.

5. A system according to claim 4, characterized in that said aperturesin said inner faces are provided with biasing means for opposingmovement thereinto of the respective said latching element, and saidinward movement of either said latching element moves the other saidlatching element out of said aperture in said control slide and into itsrespective inner face aperture against the bias of said biasing means.

6. A system in accord with claim 4 wherein said latching means haveinclined outer surfaces disposed toward said inner faces and said innerwall apertures are defined by shoulders for camming the respective saidlatching means inwardly of said control slide aperture upon movement ofeither of said operating slides from such neutral position.

l= =i l

1. In a two station control system, two operating slides connected foroperation from respective said stations, a control slide, each saidslide having a neutral position, latch means carried by one of saidoperating slides for operatively engaging said control slide when saidone slide is moved from its neutral position, and means responsive tosaid movement of said one slide to dog the other said operating slide inits neutral position.
 2. A system according to claim 1, characterized inthat each said operating slide carries a respective latch means, saidcontrol slide comprises two side faces disposed respectively toward saidrespective operating slides, said latch means of each said operatingslide being moved inwardly toward said control slide upon movement ofthe respective operating slide from its neutral position,latch-engageable means outwardly of each said operating slide, saidcontrol slide comprising means responsive to such inward movement of onesaid latch means to move said latch means of the other operating slideinto dogging engagement with said latch-engageable means.
 3. A systemcommon to a respective operating lever at each of two operating stationsfor enabling an adjustable element to be remotely controlled by saidlevers, characterized in that the system includes a housing whichaccommodates a control slide connected with the adjustable element andcapable of being moved between a neutral position corresponding to azero position of said element and control position corresponding to acontrol setting of said element, two operating slides each connectedwith a respective one of said levers for movement thereby, saidoperating slides being arranged adjacent said control slide, saidelement and slides having parallel paths of movement, each saidoperating slide having a neutral position corresponding to said zeroposition, and a latching and doggIng mechanism having latching elementsoperatively engaging between said control slide and said operatingslides, said latching elements being arranged in response to movement ofa selected one of said operating slides from its said neutral positionto dog the other said operating slide in its said neutral position.
 4. Asystem according to claim 3, characterized in that each of said slideshas opposite faces and an aperture therethrough extending between saidfaces thereof, said latching elements being disposed in said respectiveapertures and having a dimension through said aperture greater than thedistance between said faces of the respective slide, said control slidebeing disposed between said operating slides with one of said faces ofeach operating slide disposed theretoward, an aperture through saidcontrol slide, a housing having inner faces disposed toward the oppositeones of said faces of each operating slide, said inner faces beingprovided with apertures therein aligned, when said slides are in saidzero and neutral positions, with said apertures of said slides, saidinner faces being operative upon displacement of one of said operatingslides to move the respective latching element thereof inwardly of saidaperture of said control slide.
 5. A system according to claim 4,characterized in that said apertures in said inner faces are providedwith biasing means for opposing movement thereinto of the respectivesaid latching element, and said inward movement of either said latchingelement moves the other said latching element out of said aperture insaid control slide and into its respective inner face aperture againstthe bias of said biasing means.
 6. A system in accord with claim 4wherein said latching means have inclined outer surfaces disposed towardsaid inner faces and said inner wall apertures are defined by shouldersfor camming the respective said latching means inwardly of said controlslide aperture upon movement of either of said operating slides fromsuch neutral position.